An empty feeling might be the best way to describe members of the Oakville Senior High School football team after the Tigers’ season ended Friday with a 47-0 loss at Eureka High School.
The Tigers, who finished with a 2-8 record, were without a handful of regular starters, including their two most productive offensive players, against the talented Wildcats of Eureka (9-1).
Senior running back Darrion Moore and junior quarterback Javon Henderson were out with injuries.
“We were just so depleted. The guys that were out there were playing hard. For the most part, they gave it their all,” Oakville head coach Arlee Conners said.
Oakville had two slim opportunities to qualify for the Class 6 playoff. A win over Eureka and a Fox High School win over Northwest High School or just a Fox win by less than four points to break a three-way tie in Oakville’s favor. Neither situation came to fruition for the Tigers.
In their final Class 6 District 1 game, the Tigers suffered their second shutout of the season. Eureka scored two touchdowns in each of the first three quarters, and added a score in the fourth to bury Oakville.
“We didn’t have the same people. Kids were playing new spots. We couldn’t get lined up at times, and we blew some assignments. We usually make teams work a little harder for everything,” Conners said.
Eureka quarterback Sean Strehl threw touchdown passes of 12, 13, 61 and 25 yards. He rushed in from one yard out for another and was responsible for much of the Wildcats’ 447 yards of offense.
Eureka’s Richie Rhoades scored on a 31-yard interception return and Andrew Stevens recorded a 58-yard touchdown run.
Chase Bollinger caught two of Strehl’s touchdown passes.
“One thing next year I want is to be fundamentally sound and disciplined,” Conners said. “The things they were told to do were different than what they went out and did. We had guys freelancing and it cost them. It made some big holes on offense, defense and special teams.”
Sophomore quarterback Brendan Jost threw 10 completions on 23 attempts for 89 yards. Junior Jaron Henderson caught six passes for 55 yards to round out a solid year at wide receiver. Sophomore Derrick Brown led Oakville with 29 yards rushing on six carries.
Oakville amassed an untypical 138 yards of offense, but turned over three fumbles and an interception.
“Like in the DeSmet game, every game we showed we can move the ball down the field. We can move the ball against anybody for a while. We just need to do it consistently,” Conners said.
